Welcome to Specialty Historical Prints!

We offer original antique Natural History and Wildlife Art by the leading artists of the 1700's-1800's. The rare hand colored works that are available today from this golden era of art have proven themselves through the test of time to be some of the finest examples of wildlife and natural history art ever produced; and they offer us a very unique and wonderful look into the blending of nature, art, history & science by the premiere artists, scientists and naturalists of their time.

A Special Note relating to Audubon Art: We are pleased to offer an exciting new edition in the world of Audubon Prints! Original hand watercolored engravings of 3 of Audubon's Double
Elephant Folio Masterpieces using newly handmade elephant folio size copper plates.

We are pleased to be the exclusive provider for this exciting new release now to be known as the Institute de France Edition.
* Please see below for more details about this work *

HISTORICAL WORKS OF J.J. AUDUBON

We offer original hand colored works by the most renowned artists of their time including over 400 original 1st and 2nd edition Royal Octavo " Birds of America " hand colored lithographs by America's most famous wildlife artist, John James Audubon.

We also stock many of the octavo size lithographs of animals from his "Quadrupeds of America" work including bears, deer, buffalo, foxes, rabbits, squirrels, and native wild cats of America and many more.

These historically significant and investment quality works of art that we offer are by some of the most famous naturalists & wildlife artists in history - including Audubon, John Gould, Daniel Elliot, George Catlin, Mark Catesby, Martinet and others - and were made by using a variety of artistic methods and techniques including etchings, copperplate engravings, wood blocks and stone lithographs, after which each produced image was individually colored by hand by the artist himself or by others who were under the artist's direct supervision in order to ensure complete accuracy of the work.

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"Louisiana Heron " Institute de France 41.5" x 29.5"

* An Exciting New Audubon Edition *

Now available only through us is a new Audubon edition called the 'Institute De France Edition'. For the first time in over 170 years 3 individually hand watercolored works of art have been created using newly hand made copper plate engravings after the originals.

This edition we feel will soon come to be recognized as one of the finest hand colored recreations of Audubon's work ever achieved. Known as the Institute de France Edition it consists of huge Double Elephant Folio size hand colored copper plate engravings of the Wild Turkey, Louisiana Heron, and the Sea Eagle, after Audubon.

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"Wild Turkey" Institute de France 41.5" x 29.5"

Institute de France Edition

Strickly limited to only 300 signed and numbered prints of each of these images, this "Institute de France" edition is an original hand colored work of art after Audubon's original Double Elephant Folio watercolors . These are original hand colored Copper Plate Engravings printed on watermarked, cotton rag paper and measure an impresive 41.5 x 29.5 inches.

Each hand colored print in this 'Institute de France' special edition is individually numbered and permanently embossed with the Institute de France edition seal to insure authenticity. Originally produced in 1987, these prints were never released collectively
into the market ~ until now. A rare opportunity in the world of Audubon Art.

Please click the images here or the Audubon button on the left for more complete details about this newly offered work.

OTHER LEADING ARTISTS & THEIR WORKS

Also available from us are exceptional works by John Gould (including his stunning Hummingbirds with applied gold leaf ), who was Europe's answer to Audubon and considered by art historians to be the most accomplished and prolific creator of the most lavish bird lithographs ever produced.

We have works available from most of his 11 bird folios produced between 1832-
1880. Including Toucans, Hummingbirds, Birds of Paradise, Trogans, Storks, Egrets, Birds of Prey, Waterbirds, Geese, Herons, Magpies and many more. Over 150 antique original hand colored lithographs by this most famous bird author.

We also offer works by many other leading wildlife artists of their day including life-size engravings of birds by P.J. Selby (c.1820-
1840's), the most stunning work ever produced of Cats from "The Family of Cats" by Daniel Elliot(c.1883), many early engravings of American birds by the Father of American Orinthology, Alexander Wilson (c.1804-
1829) and wonderful watercolored Owls and Hawks by the great French artist Francois Martinet (c.1760-1780), as well as many other acclaimed artists of the 1800's.

We also offer some of the earliest & rarest art concerning native American Indians ever produced in America around the 1830's. McKenney & Hall's portraits of American Indians are considered the finest produced hand colored lithographic work ever done in America and are a much sought after national treasure.

We usually keep on hand 12-14 of the folio size work produced from 1835-1844. We also carry a large inventory of the smaller Octavo Editions from 1848-1858. These are considered to be true American treasures as they offer us the only remaining record of what the early American Indians looked and dressed like as the original oil paintings from which these were taken were almost all destroyed in a fire at the Smithosonian in 1865. A unique piece of American and Indian history.

George Catlin's c.1836 western scenes of American Indians offer a fascinating look back into what the world of the Indian was like before the beginning of his demise in this country.

We have available 6 images from Catlin's extremely rare Deluxe First Edition of his 'North American Indian Portfolio'. It is considered one of the most important first-hand accounts of the native American Indian of that time. Produced around 1836 it is beautifully hand-colored and printed on heavy card stock.

Likewise, Karl Bodmer's c.1839 renderings of the early American West offers superb and accurate glimpses into the life of the American Plains Indian and of the early American Western Frontier as no one has ever done before, or since.

We also carry an extensive collection of rare and early Maps" from the 1770's -1880's . We have maps of every state and pre-state territory of the United States as well as many foreign countries. These maps offer an interesting look into the founding of the United States over it's many decades of growth and expansion westward.

If interested in acquiring and collecting rare natural history & wildlife art by the most renowned artists in history, or if you are looking for any other works by particular artists of the period, please contact us for more information and ask about our free search service.